Flexible Crib Side Wall With Closable Opening for Safe Bedside Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cots are cumbersome to convert into extra beds, requiring the removal and reassembly of side walls, which is time-consuming and inefficient, and lack a secure mechanism to prevent children from falling or slipping out during use as both a cot and an extra bed.
Innovation Solution
A cot design featuring a flexible wall made of fabric, held by a holding element on the bed floor with a closable opening that allows easy access without removing the side wall, ensuring the wall rests securely on the bed floor to prevent slipping and falling, with adjustable height options for the bed base and holding element to accommodate growing children and different bed configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the complete side wall is removed to convert the cot into an extra bed, then the child can be easily accessed for breastfeeding, but the assembly and disassembly process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The side wall is segmented into a rigid upper portion and a flexible lower portion that can be independently displaced. The flexible wall section can be moved to create access openings without removing the entire side wall structure, thus enabling quick access to the child while avoiding the time-consuming complete disassembly of traditional rigid side walls.
Solution Approach 2:
The side wall incorporates a flexible material section that can be dynamically displaced between a retracted position (providing access) and an extended position (providing enclosure). This dynamic flexibility allows the wall to adapt its configuration quickly without requiring complete removal and reassembly, resolving the contradiction between ease of access and time loss.
2Ease of operation
If the flexible wall is used to enable easy conversion to extra bed, then the operation becomes simpler, but gaps may form between the wall and bed base through which the child could slip or become trapped
Solution Approach 1:
A holding element is introduced as an intermediary component between the flexible wall and the bed base. This holding element secures the lower end of the flexible wall to prevent gaps from forming, thus maintaining safety against slipping while still allowing the flexible wall to be displaced for easy conversion to extra bed configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The side wall is made of flexible material that can be displaced to create openings. The flexibility of this material allows it to conform to the bed base surface when secured by the holding element, ensuring no gaps form that could trap the child, while still enabling easy movement for conversion purposes.
3Reliability
If the rigid side wall is used to ensure child safety, then the child is protected from falling, but the conversion to extra bed becomes cumbersome requiring multiple assembly and disassembly operations
Solution Approach 1:
The side wall is divided into rigid upper sections that provide structural support and fall protection, and a flexible lower section that can be easily displaced. This segmentation allows the cot to maintain safety features while simplifying the conversion process, avoiding the need for multiple assembly and disassembly operations required by fully rigid walls.
Solution Approach 2:
The side wall combines rigid and flexible materials in a composite structure. The rigid portions ensure safety and structural integrity, while the flexible portion enables easy displacement for extra bed conversion. This composite approach resolves the contradiction between safety and operational simplicity.
4Ease of operation
If the opening in the flexible wall is made larger to facilitate child removal, then the access is improved, but the risk of the child falling or slipping increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holding element acts as an intermediary safety feature that secures the flexible wall at its lower end even when openings are created. This ensures that the wall maintains proper positioning and tension, preventing gaps that could cause the child to slip or fall, while still allowing sufficiently large openings for easy child removal.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2D
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a crib having a bed base and, completely surrounding the base, a wall that prevents the child from falling out of the crib, wherein at least a portion of the surrounding wall comprises a cladding made of a flexible material, in particular of fabric. The flexible cladding is retained at the bed base by a holding element and has a closable opening that enables a child to be laterally removed from the crib.